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Feb 6th - Feb 12th: If you haven't heard, today marked Lance Armstrong's return to Ironman Triathlon with a 2nd place finish at Ironman Panama 70.3. With that being said, I realized that I race in less than a month and had yet to get on my triathlon bike since Ironman Arizona. This week I decided it was time to dust off the cobwebs, oil the chain, and take it for its 2012 maiden voyage. I also started recording everything I consume and will be updating this on Monday's to reflect the appropriate total through Sunday night.

This week had it starts and stops. I needed a rest day Monday so I only swam. Tuesday I was back to business and tried to repeat the 3x10s I have been doing on the bike, but I had some mental things I was dealing with that day and ended up pulling the plug on that workout. I did manage a decent run afterwards but I felt like it was a busted day. For a guy that prides himself on mental toughness that is two busted workouts in two weeks. There is no physical reason why I couldn't complete the prescribed workout. On Wednesday I did a photo shoot for Trisports and I did the running and biking that was required during the shoot, but it wasn't exactly a workout. I expected this so I packed my mountain bike to get in some good riding afterwards. Unfortunately I broke my pedal trying to climb a steep grade up the back side of Gates Pass. It was the third pedal in the last 12 months that I have broke. Thursday was a track workout with the Tricats that left me more sore than I have been in years so on Friday all I could muster was a swim. On Saturday I had a great swim of 10x400s, followed by first TT ride of the year. After a rocky start I ended up smashing the 60 seconds on, 60 seconds off main set, but did flat mid-way thru. Unfortunately the post-ride run was scrapped do to extreme soreness and tightness in the hamstrings and their attachment point to my hips. Sunday I warmed up the hamstrings and got in a 21 mile run. I had planned to stop when my form gave out - figuring around 16 or so - but the form never gave out and I pulled the plug at 21 because there is no reason in my opinion to ever run much more than 18-20 miles.

I got in 3 hard core sessions and even though I really dreaded doing them I got them done. For the last couple of years when I do core I usually do them to old seasons of The Biggest Loser that I have never seen. I figure if they can suffer through it then surely I can too.

The highlight workout of the week was joining University of Arizona triathlon team and their coach Brian Grasky at the track. The main set of the workout was 4x800 with 200 jog rest + additional rest, and 4x400 with 200 jog rest. We did the 800s in 2:35, 2:32, 2:31, and 2:27 and I had the 400s at 1:11, 1:11, 1:09, and 1:11. The 800s were supposed to be at 5k pace but I think we got a little bit ahead of ourselves. The 400s were supposed to match the 800 pace which we actually did a pretty good job of doing and avoided turning them into a race. The Tricats have boundless amounts of energy and I know they are going to crush it at USAT Collegiate Nationals. Go CATS!!!!